NCLB Reauthorization Passes Senate Committee

The NCLB reauthorization bill passed its Senate committee on Thursday, sending it to the full Senate for a vote.

Legislation that would reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act cleared the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday and moves to the full Senate for consideration.

The bill passed on a 15-7 vote, HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, announced afterward. During yesterday's committee hearing, Harkin said he and ranking member Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., had agreed to hold another open hearing on Nov. 8 to discuss the bill on the Senate floor before it goes to a vote.

The bill includes numerous changes to NCLB. It would eliminate the Adequate Yearly Progress system, allowing states to develop their own accountability measures. It would stress the need for college-and-career-ready curriculums, ensuring students are prepared to advance to a job or higher education after high school. It would also provide funding flexibility for state governments and local school districts.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) represented an unfortunate overstep of the federal government’s role in education, members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce told National School Boards Association (NSBA) attendees Monday.
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